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Close Rolls
(1302-1307)The close rolls of the 31st to 35th years of the reign of king Edward I, that is to the day of his death (7 July 1307), record the main artery of government administration in England, the orders sent out day by day to individual officers, especially sheriffs of shires: they are an exceptionally rich source for so early a period. In amongst this official material, the rolls were also used as a way of recording many acknowledgments of private debts and contracts between individuals. Most of the contents relate to England, but there are also entries concerning Wales, Scotland, Ireland and the English possessions in France.

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Close Rolls
(1313-1318)The close rolls of the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th years of the reign of king Edward II record the main artery of government administration in England, the orders sent out day by day to individual officers, especially sheriffs of shires: they are an exceptionally rich source for so early a period. In amongst this official material, the rolls were also used as a way of recording many acknowledgments of private debts and contracts between individuals. Most of the contents relate to England, but there are also entries concerning Wales, Scotland, Ireland and the English possessions in France.

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Grantees of offices, commissions and pardons
(1317-1321)The Patent Rolls are the Chancery enrolments of royal letters patent. Those for the 11th to the 14th years of the reign of king Edward II (8 July 1317 to 7 July 1321) were edited for the Public Record Office by G. F. Handcock, and published in 1903. The main contents are royal commissions and grants; ratifications of ecclesiastical estates; writs of aid to royal servants and purveyors; and pardons. Most extensive are the commissions of oyer and terminer to justices to investigate complaints about specific crimes and wrongs in particular counties.

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Wiltshire Feet of Fines
(1273-1326)Pedes Finium - law suits, or pretended suits, putting on record the ownership of land in Wiltshire. These abstracts were prepared by R. B. Pugh for the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society Records Branch and published in 1939, under the title 'Abstracts of Feet of Fines relating to Wiltshire for the Reigns of Edward I and Edward II'. Pugh made abstracts not only of the Wiltshire feet of fines for the two reigns but also of the Wiltshire content of those feet of fines covering two or more counties, which are archived separately under 'Divers Counties'. Each entry starts with a sequential number within the regnal year. The date then given is the date on which the original writ was returnable in court, rather than the date on which proceedings were completed. The dates do not fall on the quarter days themselves (Michaelmas, Hilary, Easter and Trinity) but on the octave (oct., 7 days after), quindene (quin., 14 days after), or three weeks later, &c. Then there is the name of the party initiating the action (X: pl., plaintiff, or dem., demandant), and then that of the defendant (def.) or impedient (imp.) (Y). Then there is a summary description of the land involved; and then a code indicating the precise nature of the action. Seven of these (A. to G.) are variants on the theme of X having acknowledged the premises to be the right of Y; but H. indicates a simple complete grant from X to Y, complete with actual transfer of possession. In cases B., C., E. and G. it is X, not Y, on whom the property is settled. If there is a warranty clause, or a more involved settlement, the details are given.

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Inhabitants of Cheshire and North Wales
(1340-1349)The county of Cheshire had palatine status, being in some measure independent of the rest of England: moreover, from the Statute of Wales of 1284, after king Edward I's subjugation of North Wales, until the union of England and Wales in 1536 to 1543, much of the administration of North Wales (county Flint in particular) was directed from Chester. When the Chester Recognizance Rolls were moved from Chester to the Public Record Office, they were placed among the Welsh Records. These rolls, so called because they do include recognizances (of debts &c.) among their contents, are in fact the Chancery Rolls of the palatinate, containing enrolments of charters, letters patent, commissions and other documents issued under the seal of the palatinate. Deeds and other evidences of a private nature were also enrolled on them. A calendar of the Recognizance Rolls from their commencement to the end of the reign of Henry IV was prepared by Peter Turner and included in the 36th Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records in 1875. We have now indexed this, dividing the enrolments into decades. This is the period from the 13th to the 23rd years of king Edward III.

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Inhabitants of Cheshire and North Wales
(1350-1359)The county of Cheshire had palatine status, being in some measure independent of the rest of England: moreover, from the Statute of Wales of 1284, after king Edward I's subjugation of North Wales, until the union of England and Wales in 1536 to 1543, much of the administration of North Wales (county Flint in particular) was directed from Chester. When the Chester Recognizance Rolls were moved from Chester to the Public Record Office, they were placed among the Welsh Records. These rolls, so called because they do include recognizances (of debts &c.) among their contents, are in fact the Chancery Rolls of the palatinate, containing enrolments of charters, letters patent, commissions and other documents issued under the seal of the palatinate. Deeds and other evidences of a private nature were also enrolled on them. A calendar of the Recognizance Rolls from their commencement to the end of the reign of Henry IV was prepared by Peter Turner and included in the 36th Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records in 1875. We have now indexed this, dividing the enrolments into decades. This is the period from the 23rd to the 33rd years of king Edward III.

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Clergy, the religious and the faithful in Britain and Ireland
(1342-1362)These are abstracts of the entries relating to Great Britain and Ireland from the Regesta of popes Clement VI and Innocent VI, from the period when the papal court was resident at Avignon. Many of these entries relate to clerical appointments and disputes, but there are also indults to devout laymen and women for portable altars, remission of sins, &c. This source is particularly valuable for Ireland, for which many of the key government records of this period are lost. Clement VI was consecrated and crowned 19 May 1342 (the day from which his pontificate is dated); Innocent VI was crowned 18 December 1352 and died 12 September 1362. The extracts were made by W. H. Bliss and C. Johnson from Regesta cxxxvii to ccxliv, and published in 1897. The registers are almost complete for these two pontificates. At his accession, Clement VI promised to grant benefices to all poor clerks who should come to Avignon and claim them within two months of his coronation. As many as 100,000 are said to have come, and the register for the first year of his pontificate runs to twelve volumes.

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Inhabitants of Cheshire and North Wales
(1370-1379)The county of Cheshire had palatine status, being in some measure independent of the rest of England: moreover, from the Statute of Wales of 1284, after king Edward I's subjugation of North Wales, until the union of England and Wales in 1536 to 1543, much of the administration of North Wales (county Flint in particular) was directed from Chester. When the Chester Recognizance Rolls were moved from Chester to the Public Record Office, they were placed among the Welsh Records. These rolls, so called because they do include recognizances (of debts &c.) among their contents, are in fact the Chancery Rolls of the palatinate, containing enrolments of charters, letters patent, commissions and other documents issued under the seal of the palatinate. Deeds and other evidences of a private nature were also enrolled on them. A calendar of the Recognizance Rolls from their commencement to the end of the reign of Henry IV was prepared by Peter Turner and included in the 36th Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records in 1875. We have now indexed this, dividing the enrolments into decades. This is the period from the 43rd year of king Edward III to the 3rd year of king Richard II.

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Inhabitants of London
(1375-1399)Letter Book H of the City of London contains enrolments of recognizances between inhabitants, particularly citizens, for sums of money lent or due; grants of pieces of land or property; and various records relating to the city administration.

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London and Middlesex Feet of Fines
(1198-1485)Pedes Finium - law suits, or pretended suits, putting on record the ownership of land in London and Middlesex.